Hobet 21 Surface Mine

Hobet 21 Surface is a mountaintop removal coal mining operation in Boone County, West Virginia, operated by Hobet Mining and owned by Patriot Coal. According to the Patriot Coal Corporation's Web Site, the Hobet Mine is now or soon to be known as the Corridor G mining complex. "Patriot Coal Operations"

A government study done in 2003 found repeated violations of water-quality limits on selenium by operators of mountaintop removal mine sites, and biologists have stated that the selenium pollution from Hobet Mining’s operations have left the Mud River ecosystem on "the brink of a major toxic event."

Mine Data

 * MSHA ID:	4604670
 * Operator:	Hobet Mining LLC
 * Controller:	Patriot Coal Corporation
 * Union:	UMWA
 * County:	Boone
 * State:	WV
 * Latitude:	38.11
 * Longitude:	-81.85
 * 2007 Production (short tons):	4,145,752
 * Coal Type:	Bituminous
 * Mining Method:	Surface
 * Mine Status:	Active
 * Average No. of Employees:	 359

2010 Water Pollution Lawsuit
In June 2010, Environmental Groups filed two lawsuits against Patriot Coal subsidiaries: Catenary Coal Company and Hobet Mining LLC, alleging that the companies have continued to violate laws governing selenium, an element that is discharged into the environment through mining activity. While selenium is an important micronutrient, it can be toxic to fish, birds, and other wildlife in even small concentrations. A week prior to the suits, U.S. District Court Judge Robert C. Chambers ruled that Patriot Coal continues to violate water-quality limits placed on selenium. A hearing has been scheduled for early August and will consider steps necessary to stop the company from delaying clean up of the selenium pollution.

The Hobet 21 mine has a history of non-compliance with past W.V. Department of Environmental Protection deadlines. Chambers did not immediately issue an injunction, instead scheduled a hearing for Aug. 9 to consider the scope of a court order. The judge had already set a hearing that same date to consider a request from environmental groups to hold another Patriot operation in contempt of court for continuing its selenium violations.

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